ANN: Large run of "Soviet Union" Magazine available from Productive Arts (Aleksandr Zhitomirsky - Head Designer)

ANN: Large run of “Soviet Union” Magazine available from Productive Arts (Aleksandr Zhitomirsky - Head Designer)

Soviet Union is the last of the extravagant photo journals of the Soviet era. The editors made clear that Soviet Union, which commenced with its March 1950 issue, was “in place of the magazine USSR in Construction”, which ceased its publication in December 1949.

Soviet Union was published monthly in a full-scale format. The photomontage artist, Aleksandr Zhitomirsky, whose retrospective exhibition is now on display at the Art Institute of Chicago, was the head designer for the journal. (Wolf, E., Aleksandr Zhitomirsky, 2016, pp. 65-67) Early issues of Soviet Union included the work of well-known Soviet photographers of the pre-war era such as Alpert, Zelma, Shaikhet, Olga Ignatovich and Shagin, eventually giving way to the next generation… all in early Cold War style.

Soviet Union was disseminated in no less than 14 languages versus the 5 languages in which USSR in Construction was distributed. Yet, copies of Soviet Union can be more elusive than those of USSR in Construction.

Through the 1950s, Soviet Union was printed in its larger size approximating that of USSR in Construction. After this, the format for the magazine became smaller, then glossy and eventually kitschy, until it ceased publication in 1990.

Offered here is a large run of Soviet Union from the first issue though the mid-1960s. For more information see the Productive Arts website